There's been an increase in cancer in dogs and cats and hyperthyroidism in cats

Toxic chemicals found in pets, study finds

"There's been an increase in cancer in dogs and cats and hyperthyroidism in cats," Richter said. "Household toxins are concerning. We hope the research community can determine if the causes are environmental."
Richter said the high number of cases of cancer and hyperthyroidism in pets can be attributed to better diagnosing of the illnesses. The fact that cats and dogs are living longer means they get more diseases as a result, he added.
Kendra Borja, a spokeswoman for the American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical manufacturers, said she had not seen the animal study, but said tests of chemicals in humans can be misleading without some context.
She said if you don't consider the source of a chemical exposure, or how long a substance has been in a body, "unnecessary fears can arise."
"The public should not be led do believe that the products of chemistry are inherently dangerous," Borja said in an e-mailed statement. "In fact, Americans are living longer, safer and healthier lives through the essential benefits provided by the chemistry industry."
But Arlene Blum of Berkeley, a visiting scholar in the UC Berkeley chemistry department, said chemicals are killing our pets and our people.
About 18 months ago, she noticed her cat Midnight dropped about half of his 14 pounds in six months. Midnight was later diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and now she must give the feline fluids through a needle because his kidneys are failing. The cat also gets daily medicine for the hyperthyroidism, medicine for urinary tract infections and anti-vomiting medicine. All that costs about $200 a month.
"In lab animals, fire retardant was shown to cause hyperthyroidism, and quite likely that is the cause of Midnight's problems — the fire retardant in the furniture," Blum said.
Blum tested her cat, furniture and household dust and found high levels of fire retardant.
"What goes into our furniture goes into our dust, cats and our children," Blum said. "These unnecessary toxic chemicals were banned in children's clothes but not furniture."